Think this was a pretty weak year - not just for Frightfest but horror in general - no really 'big' films or 'hyped up' films from earlier festivals, so think in respect of that, this was probably the best we were going to get unless there were any real 'coups' having world premieres.

Opening night looks particularly strong - CURSE OF CHUCKY, DEATH NOTE, PSYCHOPATHS. Also like the sound of one or too others like THE GLASS COFFIN, GAME OF DEATH and VERONICA.

Really looking forward to DEATH NOTE especially.

Other than that, nothing stands out for me.

Really hope 2018 is better for the genre as a whole, would love another You're Next, The Babadook, It Follows, The Witch etc, but don't think we're going to get it this year.

Last edited by Vice on Sat Jul 01, 2017 4:48 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Opening night is by far the strongest day, and only a few things jump out at me later on, but all in all I'm happy just to be there and experience the event, as its my first! There's enough on every day to keep me happy, and any films I miss will give me the chance to hang around my usual haunts in Soho!

There may not be that many hyped movies, save for the obvious ones. Yet every year I've been the ones I liked best weren't ones I knew going on - like last year I'd never heard of Train to Busan, The Master Cleanse or Beyond The Walls which were all excellent.

Hatchet's one I'll be giving a miss. Not a massive fan of the franchise and with the Disco options on offer, it's an easy choice to skip for me. Ones that have particularly piqued my interest on the main screen are Sequence Break (though anything hoping to live up to the billing of a comparison with Videodrome better bring its A-game!) and Attack of the Adult Babies - just sounds amusingly perverse! Unlike a few other years, nothing is really leaping out, but equally nothing screaming 'avoid at all costs' either. I've steadily upped my intake of Disco screenings over the years, and expect that will probably continue, as they've usually supplied a good part of my top 5 in any given year.

At first glance it seems to be a stronger initial lineup than the last couple of years. It's interesting to compare with the "Movies For August 2017 Fest" thread to see what made it and what didn't.

MOST EXCITINGThe Villainess and Killing Ground received plaudits from Cannes and Sundance - The Villainess for the action scenes, though the film is apparently confusing (Hollywood Reporter review), and Killing Ground for the level of sustained tension (Variety review).
Even more interesting is the closing film Tragedy Girls. The director previously made Patchwork which was a hit at Glasgow Frightfest 18 months ago. No less an authority than Sight & Sound, suggested it could be "the most subversive genre movie since Scream", and unlike some websites which delight in overhyping mediocre films, Sight & Sound aren't usually given exaggeration.

MEDIUM EXCITEMENT
Regardless of their eventual quality, Cult of Chucky, Death Note and Leatherface are all from crowd-pleasing franchises and all have skilled directors behind them.Psychopaths, Sequence Break, Radius, Lowlife, Mayhem and 68 Kill all seem to have some level of buzz.

Most of the other films, especially on the discovery screens, haven't played enough to garner reviews, and of course there are a small number that have not been well received.

The only two I'm majorly disappointed on missing out on are Safe Neighbourhood (now retitled "Better Watch Out") and The Limehouse Golem.

This is with the caveat that there appears to be one more main screen film to be come on Saturday and a few more Discovery Screen films on the Sunday and Monday.

As usual, a lot of movies I've not heard of or know little about which is part of the attraction of FFest for me. Of course, it means some festivals are better than others for me and can sometimes make it tricky to decide main screen v discovery or retro but thats fine with me. After all, it's my 18th Ffest and so long as Alan, Ian, Paul and Greg can keep it going when they're in their 70s/80s, I'll be not far behind them with my zimmer frame!!

Wondering what has happened to the actual schedule in terms of screening times so that I can plan my main screen v disc choices, daily train journeys, etc.